


By Your Side

by ShuTodoroki



Category: Cars (Pixar Movies), Planes (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Backstory, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Military Backstory, Missing Scene, War, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29031066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki
Summary: Skipper can't bring himself to fly again after what happened at Glendal Canal, and he plans to return to the mainland, alone. However, Skipper won't be alone. Not if Sparky has anything to say about it.
Relationships: Skipper Riley & Sparky
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	By Your Side

Skipper Riley vaguely became conscious when he felt himself being lifted out of the cold, dark depths of the Pacific Ocean. His world became dark the second he hit the water, and he had no idea what had happened at first. That is, until he remembered that doomed combat mission. 

He knew that he shouldn’t have listened to Jigsaw Two. He had grown complacent over the time he had trained the rookies of his squadron. The Jolly Wrenches were the best squadron in the US Navy, he thought. What would one enemy ship do to them? 

Except that it wasn’t just one enemy ship. It was the whole fleet. By the time he realized that they were outnumbered, it was too late. They were rookies; why did he listen to them? He couldn’t even bring himself to answer the question honestly. As commander of his squadron, he led every single one of them to their doom. 

If only he had stayed firm in their order of returning to the Flysenhower. All of them would be safe. But no, he had to give in and check it out. Now, he had no idea if any of them were even alive or not. He could only hope that the best outcome that they all survived like he did was the case.

He winced slightly as he was set down onto the tarmac of the Flysenhower. A lone gray Navy medic approached him, checking his injuries, who he recognized as Sparky. He had befriended the forklift while he was training the rookies; they had many medics on board in preparation for the war, maybe even too many.

The war had entered a stalemate of sorts, and both sides worked to build up their forces. Since there weren’t many injured planes on board the Flysenhower at that time, some of the medics were designated to other tasks, and Sparky was designated to help Skipper train his new squadron.

The two had bonded over that time, and the crew manning the bridge must’ve known that they were close, so they decided that Sparky would be the one to approach Skipper first after he was recovered from the ocean. The forklift didn’t say anything, but seemed to know what he was thinking as he solemnly looked down at the tarmac, not wanting to tell Skipper the news.

Skipper realized what Sparky was saying without words, and he closed his eyes somberly, reopening them slightly as he looked at the ground with the forklift. “My squadron…none of them made it?” He slowly inquired, gazing back at Sparky. Although he knew the most likely answer, he found himself wanting confirmation.

Sparky gave a slight nod, looking back up at Skipper. His tines quivered a little, showing that he was struggling to cope as well. After all, he was close to the squadron as well. He was afraid that the whole squadron was gone, including Skipper. When Skipper was pulled from the water, conscious, it gave him a small amount of relief. “…I’m sorry, Skipper.” 

Silence permeated the air as Skipper registered what Sparky had said. His entire squadron was dead. Under his command. On their first mission. His thoughts from earlier came back stronger than ever. He could've brought them back safely. Instead, they were dead, because of him. 

"We'd better get you fixed up." Sparky said, gesturing to Skipper's injuries. They were shockingly non life threatening for an impact into the ocean, but the Corsair still needed to be fixed. They already had everything that they needed in the medbay.

"What for?" The question slipped out of his mouth before he even knew that it did, but it summed up his mindset at the moment. Why would they want to repair him? He had failed in his job as a commander. What was the point of keeping him in top shape? 

"Skipper, you're in bad shape. Please." Sparky pleaded, looking up at Skipper with a distraught expression. "They're already preparing the medbay." He planned on talking to the Corsair more extensively after he was fixed.

Skipper gave a resigned sigh, saying nothing more before he was towed by Sparky to the elevator, which took them down to the medbay on one of the lower decks of the Flysenhower. The various Navy medics waiting there got right to work, replacing his broken propeller and everything else that was damaged.

* * *

Sparky never got the chance to talk to Skipper after he was fixed, since he shut himself in his quarters for the rest of that day. He planned to give the Corsair space to heal, since he knew that it was very trying for him, until they received news about Skipper's fate the next day. 

The consensus from the Navy was that Skipper could still be a commander and serve in the ranks of the Jolly Wrenches; he had no way of knowing that the whole enemy fleet was at Glendal Canal that day, and it was just an unfortunate consequence of the war and its dirty tactics.

Sparky approached Skipper’s quarters that morning and lightly knocked on the door with a tine, not wanting to disturb him too much. He became worried when he heard no response at first, and he considered that maybe Skipper was sleeping, until the door slid open in front of him, revealing a very weary looking plane.

Skipper was fixed, but the glum expression on his face could make anyone think that he was still injured. Sparky couldn’t blame him; he was still mourning over Skipper’s squadron as well, but he thought that it would be good if he could deliver some good news to him. “Can I come in?” He softly asked.

Skipper silently reversed out of the way after nodding in confirmation, creating space for the forklift to enter. The quarters on an aircraft carrier weren’t exactly spacious, but the planes had a bit of space to avoid claustrophobia.

“They’re keeping you in your position as commander, Skipper.” Sparky revealed, after he stopped in Skipper’s quarters. “Whenever you’re ready, they’ll send you back out there with another squadron.”

Sparky expected Skipper to perk up at the news, but it alarmed him when the Corsair just looked more despondent. Wasn't he happy that he could continue being a commander in the Jolly Wrenches?

"Skipper?" Sparky finally asked, after a period of silence. He looked at Skipper expectantly, waiting for his answer. 

"I'm not fit to command another squadron, Sparky." Skipper stated.

"You can fly under someone else's command if you want to." Sparky suggested, knowing that Skipper probably didn't want to keep his position as commander after what had happened. 

"Not even that." Skipper added, to Sparky's shock. 

"What? What do you mean?" Sparky asked, not sure what to make of what Skipper had said. His eyes showed concern as frowned slightly, afraid of what he was implying.

"They were under my command, and I failed them all. I'm going to fail anyone else that I try to assist in this war, Sparky. I can’t bring myself to fly again." Skipper answered, serious in tone. 

Sparky could also sense a hint of defeat in what Skipper had said, and he wasn't going to let that stand. "Everyone wants you back, Skipper. Especially me. No one thinks that what happened at Glendal Canal was your fault, and no one thinks that you're going to fail them. It's only you."

"It doesn't matter if I'm going to go into every mission afraid that the same thing will happen, where I drag other planes down with me. I'm going to head back to the mainland first thing when I get permission. Maybe I can serve some use from there." 

"You're experienced enough to the point where that's not going to happen. That's why you were asked to train the rookies." Sparky insisted, not intending to let Skipper give up the Jolly Wrenches just like that. 

"I was asked to train the rookies, then look what happened!" Skipper retorted, his voice embittered. "You tell me why I shouldn't leave after what happened. My whole squadron. Gone! Just like that." He glared at Sparky, his anger at himself obviously showing through.

Sparky flinched back instinctively, not expecting Skipper to snap like that. When Skipper saw the forklift flinch, his gaze softened, and he looked down at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry. It'd be best if you just left me alone." 

Sparky quickly shook his head in defiance. "That's not going to happen. You have to understand that it wasn't your fault. Don't be this hard on yourself." 

"You weren't there, Sparky. You didn't see them hit the water, one by one, while I was helpless to do anything as I was shot down too." 

"Yes, but I trained them with you!" Sparky reminded Skipper, pain showing through in his voice as it quivered slightly. "I'm devastated that they're gone too, but even I don't blame you for what happened. Please…" He trailed off as he thought about what to say next. "Stay. I'll be alone otherwise…”

Sparky was making it harder for him to leave, and he didn't like it. He knew that Sparky had his best interest at heart, but he also knew that he could never do aerial combat again. “You have the other Navy medics that you came with. I need to serve somewhere else.”

“But we’re friends, Skipper, and you’re heading away. That’s different, don’t you think? I…won’t see you again.” Sparky pointed out.

Skipper sighed, finally looking back at Sparky. He had a point; he likely wouldn’t see Sparky again once he returned to the mainland, but it hurt too much to stay on the Flysenhower. Besides, if he wasn’t going to fly, he would serve no use on the aircraft carrier. 

“I’m sorry, but I already told you that I won’t fly again. Since that’s the case, I’m dead weight here. I’d be better off serving at the base in Coronado.” Skipper told Sparky, adamant in his decision.

Silence filled the air yet again, as Sparky came to terms with the fact that Skipper wasn’t going to change his mind. And he couldn’t blame the war plane either. “So…you’re sure that you want to leave?”

Skipper silently nodded, a solemn look on his face. He knew that it would be hard to say goodbye to the Navy medic, but the idea of staying on the Flysenhower was something that he couldn’t deal with. 

He already had issues sleeping the night prior after he woke up from a nightmare recounting the events of Glendal Canal. If serving on the mainland distanced himself from what had happened so that he could heal, he had to do it.

Sparky kept that same despondent look on his face for a while, seemingly deep in thought. It changed to a determined one, however, before he spoke, catching Skipper off guard. “In that case, I’m going with you.”

“But you’re supposed to be here, Sparky. You’re a medic; they need you here in the medbay.” Skipper pointed out. Though the idea sounded nice, he was sure that they wouldn’t allow two members of the Jolly Wrenches to go, just like that.

Sparky shook his head. “You’ve forgotten that they have a lot of medics on board. They’ll be alright if they have one less. Besides, I’m your best friend, Skipper. I wouldn’t be a good one if I let you go by yourself.”

“I want to be by myself so that I don’t bog anyone down. You don’t deserve to see me mope, because that’s what I’m going to do even when I get to Coronado.” Skipper warned. Sparky was generally a happy forklift, and he didn’t want to tarnish that. This was his to deal with, and his alone.

“And I understand that! But you’re not going to get better if you don’t have someone to talk to. That’s why I want to go with you. Also because I’d be sad anyway if you left without me.” 

Skipper was hesitant to answer after he heard what Sparky said. The forklift seemed adamant on going with him, but he found himself wanting confirmation. “…You really want to stay with me?”

Sparky nodded eagerly, perking up as he looked at Skipper expectantly, waiting for a reply.

A small smile came upon Skipper’s face, as he felt gratitude that Sparky was willing to stay with him. As the forklift said, having a companion was always better than being alone. “Thank you, Sparky. For staying with me.”

Sparky smiled as well, rolling up to hug one of Skipper’s landing gear with his tines. “I’ll always be by your side.”


End file.
